Open AccessDirect measurement of neutral gas heating in a radio-frequency electrothermal plasma micro-thruster
Author(s) -
Amelia D. Greig,
Christine Charles,
Rhys Hawkins,
Rod Boswell
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
applied physics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 442
eISSN - 1077-3118
pISSN - 0003-6951
DOI - 10.1063/1.4818657
Subject(s) - argon , torr , rotational–vibrational spectroscopy , plasma , atomic physics , nitrogen , radio frequency , plasma diagnostics , microplasma , analytical chemistry (journal) , collision frequency , atmospheric pressure , materials science , chemistry , excited state , physics , thermodynamics , electrical engineering , engineering , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , chromatography , meteorology
Direct measurements and modelling of neutral gas heating in a radio-frequency (13.56 MHz) electrothermal collisional plasma micro-thruster have been performed using rovibrational band matching of the second positive system of molecular nitrogen (N2) for operating pressures of 4.5 Torr down to 0.5 Torr. The temperature measured with decreasing pressure for 10 W power input ranged from 395 K to 530 K in pure N2 and from 834 K to 1090 K in argon with 1% N2. A simple analytical model was developed which describes the difference in temperatures between the argon and nitrogen discharges.
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